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Mule Deer
Mule Deer are the largest member of the Odocoileus genus. They gained their name from their large, mule-like ears which they can move independently, allowing them to survey their surroundings for sounds of potential danger. Mule deer stand 40 to 42 inches tall at the shoulders and weigh an average of 200 pounds. Males, or bucks, have antlers and a larger body than the females, known as does. Mule deer can reach speeds of up to 45 miles per hour while running, and are capable of changing directions in a single bound. Mule deer have a unique leaping gait, in which all four of their legs touch the ground at the same time while running. They are uniquely adapted to desert and arid environments, as they can use their hooves to dig holes into the ground when searching for seep water. Bucks carry a prominent set of antlers, which are grown annually and are shed in the February or March. A set of antlers is made up of a number of different “points.” The length and number of tines is determined by nutrition, genetics, and age. While the antlers are growing back, they are covered in a fine tissue called velvet. The velvet supplies blood to the antlers, allowing for development. After the antlers are fully grown, the deer will rub them against trees to remove the velvet layer. A “spiked” buck is a male deer lacking a set of antlers. Instead, “spiked” bucks have a pair of vertical spikes in place of antlers, usually no bigger than three inches. “Button” bucks are male deer with very small stubs at the base of where the young deer’s antlers will soon grow, but have not broken the skin yet. Sometimes, these antlerless bucks get mistaken for does, but it is important to learn to identify the differences in body structure between the two sexes. Mule deer mate in the fall and winter, during the "rut." when male bucks will compete with each other for breeding opportunities. Dominant bucks will collect several female does to form a mating harem, and aggressively defend their females from other males in the region. The largest bucks with the biggest antlers do the most mating; size is the main factor in determining which bucks get to mate. Mating season lasts from October to November and gestation period lasts about 204 days. The male will then leave and the doe will give birth to 1-4 deer (usually 2), in May or June. These young deer, called fawns, are reddish-brown with a speckled white back. After a year, the fawn will leave its mother and venture out on its own. Mule deer usually live about 10 years in the wild, but can live to be much older in captivity. Mule deer and whitetail deer are oftentimes mistaken for each other. Mule deer are bulkier, have larger ears, a black-tipped tail, a whiter face, are a third larger, and have bigger antlers that fork out instead of branch from a single shaft. 0b98967e2d89811436838b11c3e87c4a.jpg|Mule Deer Running deerandcougar.png|Mule Deer fighting a Mountain Lion Mule-deer-buck-in-rut-chasing-does.jpg|Mule Deer Checking Out some does Category:Deer Category:Herbivores Category:Mammals Category:Oklahoma Animals